The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library is getting a small makeover.
A new logo will be unveiled in coming weeks that shortens the name of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library to just "The Public Library." The logo will be put on books, hung on walls inside the buildings and placed on the outside of the downtown branch.
"Our goal is to excite the community about the many resources and experiences they'll discover in books and beyond," David Clapp, executive director of the library. "Our future lies in communicating, exploring and working on new solutions. This has to be a reality, not a slogan."
The change comes almost a year after a task force commissioned by Mayor Ron Littlefield released a scathing report about the condition of the library. The report concluded the library is tired and outdated. Many staff members view the library as a research facility instead of a place to find new books, DVDs and other items, the report noted.
PDF: New branding logo LIBRARY CHANGESSome of the changes at the library will include:* New logo rolled out* New banners along bookshelves* Coffee bar on the second floor of the downtown library* Shifts in library materials at the downtown branch* Renovated children's room at the downtown branchSource: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library
Andria Davis, community relations coordinator for the library, said some other changes are under way, but they are not obvious. Some older books and materials have been weeded out, and at the downtown branch, almost 40 percent of older federal documents have been discarded, she said.
This year, other changes will include the installation of a coffee bar on the second floor of the downtown branch, renovating the children's room in the downtown branch and the relocation of more popular titles to the first floor. Less-circulated books and materials will be moved to the second and third floors, Ms. Davis said.
There also could be additional meeting rooms added on the second floor and some carpet replaced.
She said she did not have a figure on how much these improvements would cost.
"I'm still getting prices," Ms. Davis said. "We know it will cost us something."
The hope is that private donations, and grants will help pay for the changes, she said.
Brian May, president of Maycreate and a member of the mayor's library task force, said his company designed the marketing campaign for the library. Maycreate's $5,000 fee represents a greatly reduced price, library officials said.
Mr. May said the library first asked his company to design a logo and a mission statement, but his company wanted to do more, so it also included signage.
"We took some liberties," he said.
The idea is to get people talking about the library and using it, he said.
"Hopefully, it will re-energize the community," Mr. May said.